Professional Development Policies

ACUA has been approved as a provide of Continuing Professional Education by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)

Group In-Person

Attendance Policy and Monitoring for CPE Accreditation

To ensure the integrity and accuracy of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credit awards, we have established a comprehensive attendance policy. This policy is designed to account for early departures, late arrivals, and unnecessarily long breaks. Our goal is to provide fair and equitable credit to all participants based on their actual attendance and participation.

Monitoring Attendance

We will utilize a dedicated app, Whova, to monitor entrances and exits from educational sessions. The app will track each participant’s attendance in real-time, recording precise times of entry and exit. This data will be used to verify that participants meet the required attendance duration for CPE credit.

Attendance Requirements for CPE Credit

To be eligible for CPE credits, participants must attend sessions for a minimum of 50 minutes per 1 CPE credit hour. The following guidelines will be strictly enforced:

Early Departures:
- Participants who leave a session early will have their total attendance time calculated up to the time of departure.
- If the total attendance time falls below the required 50 minutes per 1 CPE credit, no credit will be awarded for that session.
Late Arrivals:
- Participants arriving late will have their attendance time calculated from the time of arrival.
- If the total attendance time, from arrival to the end of the session, is less than 50 minutes per 1 CPE credit, no credit will be awarded for that session.
Unnecessarily Long Breaks:
- Breaks exceeding 10 minutes within a session will be deducted from the total attendance time.
- If, after deducting the excessive break time, the total attendance time is less than 50 minutes per 1 CPE credit, no credit will be awarded for that session.

Policy Enforcement

To ensure adherence to these guidelines, the following measures will be implemented:

Regular Audits: Attendance records will be audited regularly to identify any discrepancies or patterns of non-compliance. Participants found to be repeatedly non-compliant may be subject to additional scrutiny or penalties as deemed appropriate.
Transparency and Communication: Participants will be informed of these policies before the commencement of each session. Clear instructions and reminders will be provided to ensure everyone understands the requirements for earning CPE credits.

The app securely stores this information. After the conference, our staff downloads the data for record keeping and shares it with our evaluation vendor, Express Evaluation. Express Evaluation provides adequate CPE credits based on the time attendees stayed in the room.

By implementing these measures, we aim to maintain the highest standards of educational integrity and ensure that all participants receive the appropriate recognition for their commitment to professional development.

Cancellation Policy

In the unfortunate circumstance that ACUA must cancel an educational program, we are committed to ensuring transparency and minimizing inconvenience for our participants. Here is our comprehensive approach to communication and resolution:

Cease Registration: We will promptly halt the acceptance of any new registrations for the affected educational program.
Timely Communication: ACUA understands the importance of clear and timely communication. As soon as the decision to cancel is made, we will reach out, via email, to all registered individuals without delay. Our communication will provide a detailed explanation of the reasons behind the cancellation, demonstrating our commitment to transparency and accountability.
Assessment for Rescheduling: Our team will thoroughly assess the feasibility of rescheduling the educational event. If there’s a possibility of rescheduling, we will explore alternative dates and locations to accommodate our participants’ needs.
Refund Policy: In the event that rescheduling is not feasible or if participants are unable to attend the rescheduled event, ACUA will issue full refunds to all registered individuals. We understand the financial investment made by our participants and strive to ensure fairness and satisfaction in our refund process.
Encouraging Participation: Should the educational event be successfully rescheduled, ACUA will actively encourage registered individuals to participate in the new dates and location. We recognize the value of the educational experience and seek to ensure that participants can still benefit from the program despite the cancellation setback.
Case-by-Case Refund Assessment: Understanding that individual circumstances may vary, ACUA will assess refund requests on a case-by-case basis for those unable to attend the rescheduled event. Our aim is to provide personalized support and flexibility to accommodate the needs of all affected participants.

Throughout this process, ACUA remains dedicated to upholding our commitment to quality education and customer satisfaction.

Complaint Resolution

All Continuing Professional Education (CPE) and education-related complaints raised by members of ACUA are handled by ACUA staff in collaboration with the Professional Education Committee Chair. This collaborative approach ensures concerns are reviewed and addressed promptly. In cases where escalation is deemed necessary, complaints are directed to the Executive Committee for further evaluation and resolution.

To submit a complaint, contact ACUA at info@acua.org. Please provide a description of the situation with as much detail as possible.

Element of Engagement

Speakers have flexibility in choosing the types of engagement activities to include in their presentations. These activities may encompass group discussions, polling questions, instructor-posed questions followed by a reflection period, the use of case studies, or interactive learning through games and simulations.

If a Q&A session is selected as the engagement activity, the instructor should have pre-prepared questions to use in case participants do not ask any. Regardless of the engagement method selected, it is essential to document the engagement activity type and its frequency. While ACUA does not require a detailed description of the engagement activity in the program agenda, speakers must ensure the engagement activity is noted in the slides.

In the Becoming an Everyday Ethicist presentation, speaker Amanda Even utilized Kahoot as an element of engagement.

Group Internet

Description of how ACUA monitors attendance

At ACUA, we monitor individual attendance through our conference app, Whova. This app enables proctors, at least two per room, to scan attendee badges as individuals that enter and exit the rooms where educational sessions are held. The app securely stores this information. After the conference, our staff downloads the data for record keeping and shares it with our evaluation vendor, Express Evaluation. Express Evaluation provides adequate CPE credits based on the time attendees stayed in the room.